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Submitted by
tom_hubbard
a Audio Enthusiast

Date Reviewed: November 24, 2010

Bottom Line:

This review is for the Dynaco Stereo -70 in kit form sold by Bob Latino. I built one of these about 4 years ago and foolishly sold it . ( on my "upgrade "merry-go-round) In that time I`ve owned Naim 5i, Audio Refinement Complete , Monarchy Pro 70`s, Creek 5250SE. Nothing stood out like the Dynaco. When I owned it I thought " this is the only amp that ever made a real difference" but somehow let it go anyway.It somehow gets all the frequencys right from the lowest to highest registers. Some of the amps were too bright , some too dark but this kit gets it ALL right. Purchased it again from Bob with the Russian PIO caps and thicker chassis. Well, the magic is back. This time it stays.Only amp that makes my Cain and Cain Abbys and Dynaudio Audience 42`s disappear.Other associated equip. is Musical Fidelity A-5 CD, CJ PF-R pre. The combination works extremely well together.The kit is the steal of the century. Try it and you`ll be hooked!

This review is for the Dynaco ST-70 in kit form offered by Bob Latino. I was searching for Dynaco amps on Audiogon and came across an ad for NEW Dynaco ST-70 kits. The kit uses all new parts (stainless steel chassis WOW!) and modifications in crucial areas also. The driver board is upgraded to use 3 -12at7`s and has a bias adjustment for all 4 power tubes. I had to give it a try. I called Bob and had it at my door in 3 days. The kit was a joy to assemble. ( I`ve never done one before) Step by step instructions and a color pictorial, After 100 hours burn in I was amazed. I`ve been in this hobby / obsession for over 40 years and never heard such a smooth but still detailed sound. Being a tweakaholic I called Bob to see if I could get my hands into it and make my own mods. Shortly after I had 4 Russian PIO caps at my door. Again a 100 hr. burnin and the sound was even more detailed, A distinct "punch" to the bass, layers of TEXTURE to instruments, unbelievable. ( to potential buyers I would go with these caps from the start)To top it off , changed out the 3- 12at7`s with NOS GE triple mica, and the EL34`s to Electro Harmonics platinium matched from Upscale Audio and I`m set. The closest thing I`ve heard to tube sound is my Monarchy monoblocks and this little 1959 design puts it to shame. Considering the high cost of some good tube amps you absolutely can not do better than this.

Here I have a QEI Modified stereo 70 also equipped with a Joe Curcio Premium Mod. I need to find schematics on the QEI quantum electronics Mod Called BIG CAPS.. Best sounding Amp i Have Ever heard especially the price...

The ST-70 is an excellent amplifier, with a clean, well-defined warm sound. It should be known, however, that in order to achieve the performance of this amp I had to spend an additional $200 or so for new capacitors, switches, power cord, RCA inputs, output binding posts, one tube (7199), and a driver board cover. I also spent a week replacing components and polishing/painting the chassis and tube cage. Although there are an overabundance of mod kits for the ST-70, I left the circuit design completely stock. I've tried some of the mods in the past, and personally I feel that the 7199 tubes (designed specifically for audio) are sonically superior to any other signal tube being utilized in a mod kit. The Dynaco is an excellent choice for any audio system, especially for the budget-minded individual. Unfortunately demand for this amp has greatly increased, but the supply is there. They can usually be purchased on eBay for around $350, but I recommend looking for an original, unmodified amp. (I'm a little leary of the electronic knowledge of others, not to mention their soldering skills!)

I'm rating the value a 4 out of 5 simply for the fact that 10 years ago this same amp in the same condition could be purchased for $25 at your local Goodwill or pawn shop. It gets a 5 out of 5 overall, but again consider the fact that I put a lot of time, effort, and money into my amp to acheive great performance.